Falling in Neverland
by dancingin-neverland
Summary: Neverland was a place children went to so they never felt the pressure of responsibility or disappointment. Beth Greene straddled reality and Neverland between Dixon Ink where she rediscovered a love of art and Woodbury Ballet Company where years of dedication left her on the cusp of ballet stardom.
1. Chapter 1

_Ballet dancing is arduous, strenuous activity. Students are engaged in physical training that rivals the training Olympic athletes undergo. At the same time, they strive for physical perfection not for the prowess alone but as a way of achieving the means necessary to express the pure nature of their art._

 _George Balanchine_

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Beth stared into the mirror almost hypnotized by the exhaustion the exuded from her frame. As a ballet dancer, especially one being groomed into the next prima, nothing less than perfection could be accepted. She straightened her shoulders and shoved every flaw she could see into the fire burning in her belly. It had been a long time since she felt passion for ballet, but being so close to achieving her mother's dreams of how her life would turn out she found any scrap to fuel her desire to succeed.

She stretched at the barre before going over to the lone stereo and pressing play. The music began to ebb and flow through the room as her feet naturally went into first position. She began to artfully execute each step of her audition that she was rehearsing. The crescendo of the music was beautifully timed with a series of pirouettes.

She repeated the dance a few more times. She began feeling confident especially with each step she took. She had just reached the overture when the music halted. She spun to see the artistic director of the company standing at the stereo.

"Your feet were sickled on that last chassé Miss Greene. You'll never make prima let alone principal with feet like that." Phillip Blake drawled.

Beth almost cringed. It was very rare to have one on one time with him unless you were a soloist. She could see where he earned the nickname the Governor from more than one dancer. She had learned from the rumors not to dispute any of his critics.

"I'm sorry sir. I'll be sure to fix it." Beth promised him quietly. She didn't make eye contact with him. She wasn't purposefully acting demure, but this close to auditions she couldn't risk getting on his bad side.

"I sincerely hope that you do. But alas, Amy was out today gathering things for the company gala so she was unable to deliver this letter to you." Phillip handed her a small envelope, but from the postage she could tell it was from home.

"Thank you for bringing it to me sir." Beth was nervous as to what her father would send in a letter that he couldn't tell her over the phone.

"If you truly want to thank me polish this routine and perform in studio A for me and some board members Friday morning before rehearsals." Phillip told her before exiting the room.

Even though he had worded it in such a polite way Beth detected the steel laying underneath the innocent request. It felt like acid was churning in her gut. She had two days to perfect this solo piece.

She almost chucked the letter and went back to practicing non-stop, but her curiosity got the better of her.

She ripped the letter open reading her father's familiar scrawl. Although she almost wished she hadn't. The letter was unremarkable really, aside from the fact her father was cutting his assistance to her in almost half. She didn't want to sound like a snotty or privileged princess. She understood the help he was providing her brother superseded this and plenty of dancers in her position worked part time jobs and danced.

She squared her shoulders. She was going to perfect this solo and find a job. She was Beth Greene and nothing would stop her. That was the mantra she repeated in her head.

* * *

Beth felt her entire body drop into the chair. The local diner was one of the few places she could read the job postings in the newspaper and knew she wouldn't run into anyone from the company. Some of the people were incredibly callous and would use anything as ammunition to secure their spots over someone else's spot.

She immediately crossed off any ads requesting day shift. She wouldn't be able to swing those with her classes and rehearsals. She began to feel dejected at the amount of red x's lining the newspaper. Rejection was a natural part of dance, but it still stung when she realized her limited options.

She flipped to the second page and in the bottom right corner was a small ad for Dixon Ink. She almost wrote the ad off since it was in a tattoo parlor, but they were looking for someone to clean the store when it closed. The days worked perfect for her schedule.

She pulled out her phone and dialed the number listed on the ad.

"Dixon Ink, this is Daryl talking. You needing to book an appointment or check on one?" This rough voice filled Beth's ears.

She felt her cheeks redden when her mind began making musical comparisons.

"Uh, neither. My name is Beth Greene and I had a question about the ad you guys posted in the tribune for the cleaning job." Beth chewed on her lip as she doodled around the ad.

She heard muffled talking and cursing in the background. She swallowed her giggle as it reminded her of Maggie and Shawn and their antics.

"Can you come in at 9:45 for an interview?" Daryl asked.

Beth checked the time and it gave her about twenty minutes.

"I'll be there." Beth smiled as she memorized the direction Daryl gave her. She was going to nail this interview just like she was going to nail this audition.

* * *

The clock on her phone read 9:40 as she rounded the corner. She knew she couldn't trust most people in the company however she knew Tara had a shift at a bar one street over and could possibly give her a ride home. She sent the text and the response was an immediate yes. She smiled at Tara's kindness. She was one of the few in the company she trusted.

Beth arrived at the door and pulled the straps to her dance bag tighter and attempted to stand straighter. She knew her outfit wasn't quite interview ready, but she hoped since it was a cleaning job in a tattoo shop they didn't mind her yoga pants and loose red and white striped shirt. The only thing different from her rehearsal is that she swapped her ballet shoes for white beat up converse. It was too late to change and she was going to work with what she had. She pushed through her anxiety and walked in.

The first distinct thing she could say about the place was that it was immaculate. She wasn't sure why they would even need a cleaner when these men seemed sufficient enough to clean it themselves.

"Who the hell are you?" A man with an exaggerated handle bar mustache asked her.

She kept the mantra in her mind that she was going to succeed and she was going to get this job.

"I'm Beth Greene. I have an interview for the cleaning position." She tried to project confidence in her voice and avoid looking nervous.

"Daryl, the girl is here and she looks like a real doe." The man hollered towards someone in the back.

Beth had to hold back a gasp when the other man who she assumed was Daryl came out. He was easily one of the most handsome men she had ever seen. She scolded herself and reminded herself she needed to remain professional.

"Don't gotta be so loud Axel. You a runaway?" Daryl asked without any introduction just pointing to her dance bag.

"No, I had practice earlier and haven't had time to go home and drop it off." Beth figured honesty would be the best policy. She needed to be upfront about the dancing just in case they had a rehearsal run late or something else

Daryl seemed to nod his head at her statement. "What's a girl like you wanting to work third shift at a tattoo parlor for?"

Beth figured it was a fair question. She seemed to stick out like a sore thumb in the studio. She could see the tattoos peeking out on Daryl's shoulder and Axel's arms were covered in a sleeve of tattoos. She probably looked closer to a porcelain china doll.

"This is the only place hiring that works with my schedule since I dance." Beth hoped her honesty would not cost her the job.

Daryl's eyes seem to widen in surprise and Axel had a weird grin on his face.

"I'd like to see some of your dancing" Axel said as his grin seemed to grow.

"I can show you some now. Just let me change my shoes." Beth didn't mind showing them, she didn't understand why Daryl's ears were turning red and Axel seemed to giddy with her response.

She laced up her pointe shoes and did a few stretches. It was a little awkward without music but she managed to get a few steps of her routine out to show them. After her last pirouette she turned and looked at both of the guys, Daryl looked in awe while Axel looked disappointed.

"You're very talented." Daryl told her softly.

Beth was concerned because something in his voice sounded like he may not hire her.

"That is why I need this job. I need money for classes and extras before I become a prima. I need this so I can dance." Beth hoped her voice did not reek of desperation, but that was where she was at mentally.

"Okay, you got the job. We'll go over the details and the schedule." Daryl told her.

Beth had to restrain herself from throwing her arms around Daryl and thanking him. Things were looking up for her.

* * *

Beth was nervous. She had gotten the job and now she just needed to perform for Phillip and some of the board members. She felt as though she were going to be sick. It wasn't that she felt unprepared, but when one person held so many cards to the only future you prepared for it was enough to create anxiety. She watched as Phillip took a seat between Deanna and Milton. She knew these three were what ran this studio.

Two minutes and fifty seconds. The length of Requiem K. 626 and the music she had selected to dance to.

The reality is that two minutes and fifty seconds is not that long. Fleeting really, but that time seemed to drag as Beth pour her heart into each step. She could not screw this up.

She made sure her final arabesque had excellent extension and held the position for twenty seconds after the music ended. She turned and placed her feet into first position.

"Thank you so much Miss Greene. You're dismissed." Phillip shooed her out of the room.

* * *

Phillip turned to his guests with a smug smile on his face after Beth Greene's performance. He had been looking for the perfect talent to eliminate multiple threats within Woodbury Ballet Company.

"I told you we have found our new star. It's time to be rid of Andrea and bring in a new era of dancing with Miss Greene." Phillip told Deanna and Milton.

As much as he hated it, he needed a majority of the board to side with him and they had the largest influence.

"She is a rare talent. We can meet for lunch later and discuss how you will implement this plan of yours." Deanna told him before grabbing her things and exiting the small rehearsal space.

"Are you sure this is smart to target both Michonne and Andrea?" Milton asked quietly.

"Miss Greene will be an effective tool in tearing both ladies down." Phillip told him confidently.

Things were going to go his way after all. The plan was flawless they had just needed a dancer with star quality. The quality exuded from Beth Greene and he was going to use every drop of it to succeed.


	2. Chapter 2

"Some of us can begin to heal the damage people have done to us by escaping the situation, but some of us need more than that. Tattoos make statements that need to be made. Or hide things that are no one's business. Your scars are battle wounds, but you don't see them that way. Yet." - Tammara Webber

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The familiar hum of the tattoo gun soothed Daryl's frayed nerves. The new girl was starting tonight and everyone in the shop had been giving him hell. It didn't help that Axel had told everyone in the shop a romanticized version of him seeing her dance for the first time. He could admit he wasn't sure what to expect when Axel asked her to dance for them. All he knew was that he didn't want her to stop once she had started. Her body had become art and he was mesmerized. Watching her had been like the first time he walked into Dale's art gallery and it inspired him the same way.

Though, in Axel's version of the story he looked like a starving man looking upon a steak dinner cooked just for him. He almost snorted because he knew there was no way in hell he looked that way and no one believed that part of the story. They did however believe he hired her because he was harboring feelings for the girl. Which was absurd because he knew next to nothing about the girl other than the fact she was one of the most talented people he had ever seen.

He could see the passion and dedication that she put into her craft. He knew how hard it could be to perfect a talent like that. He also could hear something coloring her tone when she practically begged for the job. He remembered when he was close to her age hanging around an art gallery owned by Dale Horvath. He went in and looked at the art always inspired by the works carried and finally one day after watching the cops haul his brother away he got the balls to beg Dale for a job. Dale for whatever reason gave him a job, but encouraged him into an apprenticeship with a friend. He had someone who went out on a limb for him and assisted him as he achieved his dream and he wanted to pay it forward.

The hum of his tattoo gun drowned out the minutes on the clock ticking. He didn't want to admit that he looked forward to seeing the girl. He did a quick glance up at the clock and almost cursed. This appointment was running longer than he wanted. This was his second session with the client and he wanted desperately to give this boy what he wanted. The boy had burn scarring on his forearm where his abuser had held it over an open flame. Stories like this boys made him strive for perfection for each piece he tattooed. He saw pieces of himself in each client and he knew how empowering it was to take back control.

The bells on the door chimed and the boy he tattooed gave a low whistle of approval. Daryl looked up and saw Beth walk in and he tried to keep his expression neutral. Her long legs were covered in tight black leggings and she had a cropped top that had WBC in a fancy cursive. It was the small glimpses of her toned belly that had his heart skipping beats. He didn't understand how someone was so small but had mile long legs at the same time. It seemed like an oxymoron to him.

"Sorry I'm running late. Rehearsal ran a little longer than normal." She apologized and seemed out of breathe like she had run here.

"It's fine. Wrapping up this tattoo and then I got some paperwork, but the list for what you need to do is on the front desk." Daryl was surprised by how many words had come tumbling out of his mouth.

He wasn't sure what she was doing when she stepped closer to the chair instead of going to the front desk. He couldn't get a read on her intention and that unnerved him.

It didn't matter because instead of coming to the chair she spun around dropping her giant bag behind Martinez's station and grabbed the list. She started on the list and was quietly humming as she completed each task. There was a grace in the movements she made and sounds that were coming from her mouth. It was making it hard to focus on the complicated shading he was attempting to do. He quietly told his client they would have to have one more session and that he would look at his schedule in the morning and call him to figure out when the next session would be.

He finished wrapping his client's arm and walked him to the front of the store. He hated not completing the tattoo, but in situations like this especially when he didn't have complete focus it was better to break it up into multiple sessions. The humming had halted and he felt himself looking at his newest hire. She had his portfolio and was thumbing through the different portraits of his tattoos. He could feel his ears burning.

"Is this your work?" She asked him softly.

Part of his brain wanted him to reprimand her for going through his belongings and then the other part of his brain wanted to give her the answers to any question she had.

"Yeah, it is" He felt himself answering her question, but he did not want to elaborate much more.

"This is brilliant. Is all of your work on scar tissue? Isn't that difficult?" Beth gave rapid fire questions and he could see her curiosity burning in her eyes.

This line of questioning made Daryl uncomfortable. He was used to people wanting to tear him down and he never met someone as beautiful nor talented that looked at his work the way she was looking at it.

"It's my work, but ain't so hard after doing it so long." Daryl shrugged off the look Beth was giving him.

"I can't imagine it gets easier. I know I work hard everyday to get better, but the work doesn't get easier. I can't imagine creating these works of art is any different." She told him earnestly.

"S'not the same as what you do" Daryl mumbled and shrugged his shoulders.

She flipped through his portfolio and reached one of his particular favorites. She traced over intricate details of the tattoo. The dark lines of the phoenix rising from ashes seemed to have her entranced. He almost volunteered the story of how his brother couldn't sit still in the seat when getting the tattoo. Though, the words seemed to stick in his throat rendering him mute.

"This is beautiful and you're so talented" Beth's voice hitched over her compliment.

Daryl had never felt so uncomfortable. It wasn't the first time someone had complimented his work, but something about her tone and her expression felt like she could see right through him. Her words were like arrows hitting close to the bulls-eye, but not quite.

"Don't you think it's beautiful? You've taken something ugly and dark and rewrote their stories. You've given them control of their lives again." Beth smiled at him.

Daryl's throat felt thick and it was hard to swallow. He had never received such a praise and the smile she gave him put him on edge. How did someone respond to such a sentiment? He didn't know what words to string together for a response.

"Don't you think that's a beautiful thing?" Beth asked again.

Daryl shrugged his shoulders and picked up schedules and shuffled them around to look busy. Beth must have understood his body language because she went back to cleaning and humming.

He couldn't help his smirk when her soft humming turned into soft singing. This girl had so many talents and she acted like he was the one who was gifted. He almost snorted at the absurdity of her notions.

"You a singer too Greene thought dancing was your focus?" Daryl couldn't snatch the words back even though he desperately wanted to.

"Music is kind of the steady best friend whereas dance is the turbulent love of my life. Music is there to pick up the pieces when dance isn't so good to me" Beth smiled at him again, but something dark was shadowing her tone.

"Well, ya got decent pipes on ya Greene. Got a good steady best friend." He told her quietly. He thought she didn't hear him, but her quiet thank you had him pausing.

He gave a hum of acknowledgment to her thanks. He wanted to probe into her brain to find where the shadows were coming from. He clamped down on the questions though because he wasn't one to pry into someone's personal space. He didn't want to further examine why the shadows were upsetting him. There was no way he could talk to the guys about it. As it was, Axel was already forming some romantic plot line because he closed with the new girl. He wouldn't be surprised if Axel told everyone they eloped.

He didn't mean to be weird as watched her gracefully go to each task listed out. He didn't understand how so much grace fit into one small body. She propped herself on pointe with her little converse as she swept each station. She continued singing as if her voice was the symphony to her one woman ballet. He needed to finish paperwork, but he couldn't focus with her movements. He wanted decided to forgo the paperwork until tomorrow and discreetly pulled out his sketch book. He didn't want to seem like a creep, but he couldn't stop himself. It had been quite some time when he felt so inspired to sketch.

His pencil jerked when Beth spoke up interrupting his furious sketching of her movements as he attempted to cover up his work.

"So, same time tomorrow?" Beth asked with a gesture to the area she cleaned.

"Same time tomorrow" Daryl wasn't sure but he was certainly looking forward to closing now and getting to know Beth Greene better. 

* * *

A/N: Thank you to all the favorites and follows from chapter one. I especially want to thank Kris and Reignashii for taking the time and leaving reviews! I really appreciate your kind words and encouragements!


	3. Chapter 3

The eternal and uneasy relationship between ballet and modern dance endures, but radically altered in tone and intensity. - Robert Gottlieb

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Beth could feel the bags under her eyes and she briefly wondered if she looked as exhausted as she felt. She had been closing at Dixon's and getting to know the aloof owner better over the last few weeks. Phillip had requested she take a few extra classes and a few privates with different instructors. She found it difficult to say no especially since it was close to time to audition for various roles for the upcoming season. Her body was beginning to feel the effects of more effort and less sleep.

She slid down the wall towards the back of the main practice room and stared at the other dancers in the company. She wanted to groan in frustration at how perky they all seemed. Philip had called a meeting with everyone and was running a little late. The room was filled with different conspiracy theories of why the meeting had been called. All Beth knew was that this was her day off and she had not wanted to crawl out of bed until her shift at the shop.

She wondered how late Phillip would be and if it would be okay if she just closed her eyes for a second, but that thought was pushed to the side when the door slammed open and Phillip followed by Michonne walked into the room. It was unbelievable how the room fell silent as they saw the pair. It was like someone had hit the mute button for the room.

"Good morning, we've got some exciting news to share with you" Phillip announced as Michonne eyed him warily.

There had been rumors circulating for years that the two had a horrible rivalry and wanted to cut each other from the program. Other than the occasional dirty look because they disagreed on artistic direction Beth had never seen anything between the pair to indicate the rumors were true. She figured they struggled artistically because Phillip believed in a more classical style of ballet whereas Michonne subscribed to more modern contemporary ballet ideas. She could understand why that would create artistic friction and arguments.

"Our company is doing two ballets, but based off of the same story. One will be classical and the other will be more contemporary" Michonne told everyone.

Beth's heart started racing with the information. Two ballets was awfully ambitious and the company had never attempted something like this. This would be fitting for larger companies in a place like New York.

"We won't have auditions this year. We have already cast the dancers in their roles. If your name is on either the soloist list or principals list I will need you to go to Studio A for the meeting." Phillip turned and taped a list to the mirror before calmly exiting the room with Michonne and undoubtedly heading to Studio A.

Beth waited for the chaos of people trying to figure out their role to calm as she sat towards the back of the room. She didn't want to be pushed or stampeded on when more than likely she would just be a corps dancer like she was last year. At best she would be an understudy to a soloist, which is an honor in itself to be given that responsibility.

"What the hell did you do?" Tara stormed over to her.

Beth was taken aback by Tara's tone. She had always been so kind to her and helping keep her smiling during long and grueling practices.

"I'm not sure what you mean" Beth was truly confused. She couldn't imagine doing anything to evoke this kind of fury.

"You took my soloist spot. You can't tell me once you started those privates you didn't know what you were doing" Tara spat at her.

Beth let the word soloist spot ring in her brain. She hated that her friend had lost her position, but she couldn't believe it. She was going to be a soloist in two performances.

"I didn't know anything Tara. I promise you" She told her quietly. Confrontation had never been one of her strong suits even with two older siblings.

"I'm not going to sit here and let you lie to my face. I'm done with you and you can figure out your own ride home because I'm done chauffeuring your lying ass!" Tara yelled at her before dramatically storming out of the room.

Beth wanted to cry in frustration especially when everyone began staring at her. She just grabbed her bag and headed to Studio A. She was relieved when she felt the eyes quit following her as she left the room.

* * *

Studio A was filled with dancers she had long admired within the company. She couldn't believe she was considered especially when she began comparing herself to each and every dancer in the room. She couldn't believe she had made it. She was close to fulfilling her mother's dream for her.

"Congrats to each of you for making principal dancers for the season. This meeting will be short and simple." Phillip told everyone with a charming smile.

Beth couldn't help the smile she gave in return. Most of the room remained neutral, but she figured it came with the territory of being principal for so many years. She hoped in if she ended up principal again the feeling she had would not fade.

Her thoughts seemed to block out whatever Michonne and Phillip said next, but it didn't matter because they handed out schedules for rehearsals, privates, and photo shoots. She felt a little light headed at how much was listed, but she was excited to tackle this new challenge.

"Miss Greene, could you stay behind. I'd like to show Michonne some of your work." Phillip told her.

Beth shoved any feelings of exhaustion away. She wanted to prove that he had not made a mistake. Especially once Michonne gave an assessing glance. She squared her shoulders and nodded her head at Phillip. Her throat felt thick and she wasn't sure she could get words out.

"I've heard you're quite the talent. I'm going to request a few moves for you to demonstrate and then the solo that Phillip has been raving to everyone about. Is that alright?" Michonne posed it all as a question, but Beth knew better.

Beth nodded again to show she understood. She wasn't sure, but something about the look the two artistic directors were giving each other made her uncomfortable.

"First position and then rond de jambe" Michonne requested.

Beth felt her legs naturally go into the proper positions as she demonstrated the movement.

"Nice, can you show me your port de bras?" She gave her second set of instructions.

Beth didn't want to roll her eyes, but it had been a basic movement that was requested. She had been doing them since she was in children's ballet. She performed the movement with ease.

"Show me your-" Michonne started, but Phillip interrupted her "Let's cut this bullshit and just let the girl show you her solo."

Beth felt uncomfortable as the tension raised in the room. She waited until they stopped glaring at each other to begin the solo.

She let her emotions guide each step of her solo. She had never felt so in her element until the moment. She had only heard stories from her mother about this kind of feeling. She linked the feeling of what she felt when she saw Daryl's work for the first time. It was like she was creating art. Her body was the brush and the stage her canvas.

"I told you she was going to be the perfect Tinkerbell" Phillip told Michonne smugly

* * *

Beth loved working at Dixon Ink. Despite, the closing with the taciturn owner they always seemed to have interesting conversations. He may not say very much, but his insight on things was always brilliant. She didn't even want to get started on how exquisite his artwork. There was something about his quiet and humble nature that intrigued her. She often wondered about his personal life, but never could bring herself to ask him about it.

She felt like she was intruding sometimes when they discussed his art. He would get a far off look when retelling a few stories of correcting scars. She knew she made him uncomfortable when she told him how beautiful his work was. There was just something about the work he was doing that inspired her.

When she came into the building she saw Daryl working on a client. It looked like he was doing an intricate dragon down his clients back. Typically, if he was working on a client when she came in she would ask a million questions. If she wasn't asking a billion questions she was humming or quietly singing as she completed each of her tasks. Tonight was different though. She assumed it was because Phillip and Michonne immediately started working on her parts for the ballet after she completed her solo. She taped an ice pack to her knees to help with the soreness. She knew it looked silly, but it would have to suffice until she could go home and soak in a nice ice bath. She didn't look forward to walking home. It was the worst possible time for Tara to stop giving her rides home after their respective shifts ended.

Her muscles flexed with each of her movements as she swept up. The hum of the tattoo gun had stopped and the bells from the door indicated Daryl's client had left the room. Beth was fighting the exhaustion that was creeping up her spine. She wasn't even sure she would make it into her ice bath she may just collapse into her bed.

"Greene, you alright? You ain't said a peep tonight" Daryl asked her.

Beth was touched by his intense look of concern. She felt like everything was collapsing around her as she shoved her exhaustion down once again. She had thought she had given a decent answer, but his concern flashed to panic and she was confused at the look.

The edges of the room became gray and then everything became black.

* * *

A/N: Thank you so much for all the kind words of encouragement! I especially want to thank Lady of Sign, Tania Ibarbia, Summers Rage, Reignashii, UltimateBethylFicList, Bethgreenewarriorprincess, lillyloup, and strangersangel for taking the time to leave such kind words! I really do appreciate it.

I hate to leave the chapter on such a cliffhanger, but I promise this is going to help develop some of plot layers planned for this story. I'm hoping to begin chapter four shortly and have it out soon for everyone! Once again, thank you to everyone who has reviewed, favorited, and followed this story, you guys are my inspiration and encouragement to keep writing


	4. Chapter 4

"Wear your heart on your skin in this life." ― Sylvia Plath

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"Beth, girl can you hear me?" Daryl wished he had some kind of medical background when Beth's eyes fluttered open.

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Daryl knew something was off at the beginning of Beth's shift. The silence seemed much louder than any of her chatter. When he finished his client's tattoo was when he got a full look of her and he wasn't very happy with what he saw. She looked utterly exhausted and it didn't settle well with him. He knew from their previous conversations she was looking forward to relaxing today before coming into to work. So, what in the hell happened to that plan?

Daryl desperately wanted to ask her, but the words would not form for him. He had grown used to her talking for the both of them or drawing out responses he didn't realize he was giving until they were out of his mouth. The need to ask her what was wrong was slamming itself against his comfort zone.

He finally mustered up the courage to ask her what the hell was going on, but he barely got her name out when her eyes rolled back and she crashed to the ground. He wished he resembled one of the superheros in the movies that caught the damsel in distress and remained cool under pressure. Unfortunately, he seemed to be the antithesis of cool under pressure. He scrambled over to Beth and tried to be gentle as he shook her.

"Ugh, what happened?" She asked as she came to.

"Think you passed out girl. What the hell happened?" Daryl was glad that his heart rate seemed to be returning to normal.

"Probably where I didn't get a chance to eat today. I'll be fine. I'll finish up my tasks and head out." Beth told him quietly.

Daryl mulled over her words. He figured most bosses would be impressed with her work ethic, but he only felt growing concern that she wasn't taking care of herself and that didn't sit well with him.

"Stop, just stop." Daryl told her firmly.

Beth looked horrified for a moment after hearing his words before looking down at her feet.

"I'm sorry. I guess this won't work after all. I'm sorry for wasting your time." Beth turned to grab her dance bag. She still looked unstable to Daryl.

"What the hell you talking about girl?" Daryl was confused at her words. They didn't make any sense to him.

"Aren't you firing me? Because I passed out?" Beth asked.

Daryl hated the look that crossed Beth's face. He hated it more than in the moment her eyes rolled back and she passed out. He didn't understand how this girl had gotten under his skin. She was making him act out of character. He had done so well for himself keeping people at arms length. For whatever reason, she danced past any defenses he had built up and he cared. He cared a whole hell of a thought about this girl and her well being. He didn't understand how she could even for one moment fathom he would fire her. She probably could be the worst employee he ever had and he would be hard pressed to fire her. He hated that he wasn't better at communicating his thoughts or expressing his feelings.

Beth looked stricken while waiting for his response and that spurred him into action.

"You ain't fired girl. Furthest thing from it" Daryl ground out.

"I'm not? But you told me to stop" Beth's confusion leaked into her words.

"Nah girl, just needed you to stop cause you passed out. Since you haven't ate today we should probably get you something to eat" Daryl suggested. He felt heat creeping up his neck. He hoped he wasn't coming off as a creepy boss. He knew his intentions were good he just wasn't sure if his intentions were coming across correctly.

"You don't have to get me food. I can walk home and eat there" Beth told him quietly.

"Like hell I'm gonna let you walk home after watching you pass out. I'm gonna take you to this diner and we are gonna get food in you that's final" Daryl told her.

He had to fight the smirk that wanted to break out when Beth nodded in consent to his idea. He grabbed her elbow and lead her towards the employee parking lot. He was glad he decided to bring his truck today instead of his motorcycle.

The ride was relaxing. He hadn't realized he missed the sounds Beth made until she softly sang along with the Tom Waits. He didn't think anything would ever sound better.

He pulled up to his favorite diner. It was just a simple place, but they had the best burgers and fries in Daryl's opinion. Once they were seated Daryl started feeling a little insecure about his choice of place to eat. She was a dancer and probably didn't even eat anything they served.

His paranoia grew until the waitress came over and Beth ordered a coke and a large order of chili cheese fries. Daryl couldn't stop the smile. This girl was full of surprises. The waitress asked if he wanted his usual and left after their orders were taken.

"Ain't dancer's supposed to eat healthy or some shit like that?" Daryl teased her.

"Some shit like that I guess" Beth giggled as the waitress came back and placed their food in front of them.

There wasn't much room for talking as they devoured their food. It may have been simple meal, but nothing tasted better. He wondered if company effected your taste buds because he had ate here plenty of times and this was the best meal he had ever had. He wondered if Beth's company effected the taste of the food. He smirked when he noticed her clean plate and she was scanning the menu presumably for dessert to order.

"Their coca-cola cake is real good here" Daryl suggested.

Beth smiled at Daryl's suggestion and ordered the cake when the waitress came by.

"So, wasn't today your day off from dance? What caused you not to eat earlier?" Daryl asked.

"I was supposed to be off, but I got the lead for our company in the dances this year. I had an extended practice." Beth told him.

Daryl was impressed with this girl. He couldn't imagine being so humble being a step closer to achieving his life long dream. He remembered when he first got his tattoo apprenticeship he didn't stop talking about it for days. He was sure Dale and his brother Merle were grateful when he finally started so he could stop harassing them with his news. Yet, when Beth did something similar she remained humble.

"Ain't that a huge deal?" He asked.

"It is, but it's so early and anything can happen before the actual performances" Beth chewed her lip.

"Well, when it's time for performances you gotta let me know so I can get tickets to see" Daryl told her.

He could care less about ballet. However, he couldn't imagine a better time than watching her perform. He knew he would be bringing his sketch pad. He knew he was be instilled with inspiration.

"I'll definitely let you know. Uh, and not to be overstepping your kindness but I have a list of days I'll need off for events." Beth asked.

"Whatever you need we can work it out" Daryl told her. The room seemed to get smaller and all he could see were her eyes looking at him. He felt the weight of his words. He realized he might have meant more than work. He hoped he hadn't crossed any boundary.

"Thank you Daryl" Beth told him softly. Her words seemed heavier than a typical thank you.

"Let's get you home Greene" Daryl told her as she finished her dessert.

* * *

A/N: Thank you for all of your kind words and support! I'm sorry this chapter is a little shorter than the others, but I promise I have big things planned for the next few chapters.

A huge thank you to Chrissy, Electrickpanda, Reignashii, TWD Withdrawl, Bethgreenewarriorprincess, Ultimatebethylficlist, Tania Ilbaria for your kind words and encouragements! It's so motivating your words and helps when I'm writing the new chapter.


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